Higashi Hongan-ji Temple, Kyoto

Posted Under: 360° Panorama, Asia, Japan, Kansai region, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture

360° VR panorama of the Higashi Hongan-ji (東本願寺) temple complex in the Shimogyo-ku ward of Kyoto, Japan. The temple was founded in 1602 as part of a plan by the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu to split the Shin Buddhist sect in two and reduce its influence. Higashi Honganji became the head temple of the Otani-ha branch, while the nearby Nishi Honganji temple became the headquarters of the Hongan-ji branch.

None of the original temple buildings of Higashi Hongan-ji survive, in 1864 a large fire destroyed all buildings and the treasures they contained. The majority of the temple structures today date from between 1879 to 1911. The main hall, Goei-do is the largest wooden structure in Kyoto, and the second largest in Japan.

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